Intently watching
by ToxThexMoonxAndxBack
Summary: Bernard on a whim hires a young Irish woman to work in the shop named Erin. Will she fit in among the group? Can she actually cope with Bernard?


An: first black books fanfiction. Only just started watching this show so I've not seen every episode yet. Please review. Thanks for reading.

XxX

"Books here. Shelves everywhere." Bernard said throwing himself into his chair. The young woman followed him to his desk. "Make yourself at home." He grabbed a bottle of wine as she pulled her hair to one side of her head putting it into a side braid. "Drink?"

"It's 11 o'clock in the morning."

"Your point is?" He questioned raising his eyebrows.

She laughed. "I guess there is no point."

He handed her a full glass.

"Do you get many customers?" She asked taking a sip.

"Who? What?" He ran his hand over his face. "Manny deals with the customers. I'm not good with people they tend not to like me very much."

"Well I like you." She smiled.

"Why?" He glared at her suspiciously. Her cheeriness was new to him and he didn't know what to think. "You don't know me."

"You've given me no cause not to."

"Give it an hour." He sank back in his chair leaning his head back.

She looked around the shop. "Shall I start tidying?"

"Can if you want."

She put her glass on his desk despite it still being half full and went about tidying up the shop. Organising was a strong point of hers.

Bernard watched her from where he was sat, watched how she would glide her finger along the spine of each book carefully reading who the author was.

"You're staring." She said making him jump.

"It was not staring." He was quick to defend himself. "It's watching...intently."

"I'm not that interesting to look at."

"I think you are." He mumbled before quickly bringing his glass to his lips again before he said something stupid.

She rolled her eyes before carrying on with what she was doing. There was nothing else for him to do other than watch her. She was very pretty in his opinion with pale skin and light blue eyes.

She wore a white summer dress and heels to hide the fact she was barely 5ft 2, plus she was Irish, that was the main reason he agreed to her working in his shop. He shook his head just as Fran entered.

"Bernard. When are you going to take the closed sign off? Do you not want customers?"

"Customers are so loud...they don't appreciate the shop at all..." He groaned putting his head in his hands before pointing at Erin. "This is Erin by the way."

Erin shook Fran's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You actually hired someone?" Fran looked suspiciously at Bernard wondering what his game was.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why not? She's organised, much better looking than Manny and is Irish, maybe she'll sing for you..." He grumbled.

"Right...is Manny in?"

"No he out went for milk...over an hour ago."

"Right. It's just he wanted to speak to me. Tell him to come to mine when he gets back." She told him. "It was nice meeting you Erin."

She then left and Erin walked over to Bernard's desk and perched herself on the edge. He wasn't sure if he admired her confidence or not.

"What?"

She said nothing for a moment before laughing to herself. "You're a strange one,bMr Black."

He was about to comment that he still had rights like he had done with Fran when she called him a freak but a customer walked into the shop. Before he could throw a book at them Erin got up and dealt with them.

After the old man had gone she handed him the money for what he'd bought. "50 pounds. Can't be bad."

"Meh." He waved his hand taking a cigarette getting ready to light it.

"You know they kill you don't you, you now they rot your insides?"

He sighed. "I try not to think about it I find it puts me off."

She glared at him and for the first time in his life he put the cigarette down.

"You happy now?" He asked actually finding the look she'd given him terrifying.

"I got the milk." Manny burst into the shop proudly holding the carton of milk up like a trophy.

"It took you long enough didn't it?" Bernard took it off him taking it out the back before returning.

"Who's this?" Manny looked Erin up and down confused.

"Erin. She works here. She's proving more useful than you already."

"I'm better looking too apparently." Erin smirked as she shook Manny's hand.

Bernard flopped down on his sofa finding a comfy position before looking back at Manny. "Fran wants you to go and see her by the way."

"Ah yes..." He nodded. "Well I look forward to working with you Erin. Goodbye."

Manny then left wondering why Bernard had suddenly hired someone despite his hatred of all humans.

Erin then went back to tidying up, Bernard knew that if she carried on the whole place would be alphabetised. He always knew his shop was a mess, but tidying was so much of an effort that even Manny couldn't be bothered half the time.

"Bernard."

Her voice caught him off guard making him jump for a second time.

"You're staring again."


End file.
